New leader for participatory arts

ArtWorks Alliance has announced that Kathryn Deane is to be its new Consultant Director.

The head of the development agency for community music is to become the leader of ArtWorks Alliance for the period up to July 2017.

“There was strong competition for the appointment of our first Director,” says ArtWorks Alliance member Chris Stenton of People Dancing “but in choosing Kathryn we know that we have someone with a wealth of experience, and an enviable overview and depth of understanding of participatory arts. Kathryn will provide ArtWorks Alliance with the leadership we need".

Kathryn Deane says “I was thrilled to be offered this appointment. I have been involved in ArtWorks Alliance since its inception in 2008 and I am pleased and proud to be taking forward this very important work.

“Among ArtWorks Alliance’s unique endeavours is that it works across all artforms. Where practices are similar we will be able to avoid duplication and so get more out of what will continue to be limited resources. Where practices are very different across artforms, we will be able to learn even more from each other.”

Kathryn Deane ran large scale community music projects in the 1980s and 90s before becoming director of Sound Sense, the professional association for community music and musicians, in 1995; a post she holds until her retirement in December 2016.